By Katie Kerwin McCrimmon and Susan Cunningham
The sad deaths of legendary Hollywood actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa in New Mexico have put a spotlight on hantavirus.
Arakawa, 65, died of what’s known as hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, according to Dr. Heather Jarrell, the chief medical investigator at the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator.
Arakawa is believed to have died sometime around Feb. 12 while Hackman, 95, who suffered from Alzheimer’s and cardiovascular disease, is believed to have died about a week later on Feb. 18 at their home in Santa Fe. The couple’s bodies were discovered on Feb. 26, along with their dogs, one of whom was in a crate and died along with Hackman and Arakawa. Medical experts in New Mexico do not think Hackman or the dog died of hantavirus. But they have confirmed that Arakawa contracted it.
Hantavirus does not spread from person to person, according to Dr. Michelle Barron, UCHealth’s senior medical director for infection control and prevention.
“It’s purely a function of inhaling the virus from droppings,” said Barron, who is also a professor of medicine and infectious diseases at the University of Colorado School of Medicine on the Anschutz Medical Campus.
“People are sweeping or cleaning without the windows open,” Barron said.
The virus particles that spread hantavirus from mouse droppings then float in the air or become aerosolized.
“You then can breathe it in and then it can become infected,” said Barron.
She recommends that people air out spaces before cleaning them. And they should always wear masks while working.
Hantavirus is especially dangerous throughout rural areas of Colorado and the Southwest.
According to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Colorado has logged the second highest number of cases of hantavirus in the U.S. since the CDC started tracking cases in 1993. From 1993 through 2022 (the most recent year for which national case numbers are available) CDC officials logged 119 hantavirus cases in Colorado. The virus is very dangerous for those who get it. Of the 119 who contracted the illness from 1993 through 2022, 44 died. Only New Mexico has recorded a higher number of confirmed hantavirus cases during those years. New Mexico health officials documented 122 hantavirus cases from 1993 to 2022, and 52 of those who got hantavirus in New Mexico died.
In Colorado in 2023, there were two cases of hantavirus. And in 2024, there were five cases of hantavirus, and two of the people died, according to Kristina Iodice of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
So, what causes this unusual virus? Is it typically deadly, who should worry about it, and how can you protect yourself?
To learn more about hantavirus, we consulted with Lauren Bryan, an infection preventionist at UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center.
Bryan said people should always be careful when they’re cleaning areas in homes or out buildings that could have mouse droppings.
What is hantavirus?
Hantavirus is a family of viruses that rodents can carry. Different strains can be found in different places around the world. In Colorado and the Southwestern U.S., the virus strain is Sin nombre (or Spanish for ‘no name’), and it’s carried by deer mice.
“It’s important here in Colorado because we have a fair amount of deer mice,” Bryan said.
Since 1993, hantavirus has sickened and killed people in rural areas of Colorado. It’s rare, but can be very deadly with up to 40% of people who get the illness dying of it.
What is the most dangerous time of year for hantavirus?
Peak season for hantavirus is spring and early summer.
“That’s when people are starting to go in and clear out their sheds and garages where deer mice have been nesting,” Bryan said. “The bodily fluids from the mice carry the virus. So if people sweep up excrement or touch dead mice or get bitten, they may be exposed.”
What kind of mice spread hantavirus? How do I know what kind of mice I might have if I see them?
Deer mice spread hantavirus. They have distinct tails that are dark on top and lighter on the bottom. But most people who get hantavirus don’t see mice. So, it’s best to take precautions any time you are dealing with mice and are cleaning up droppings.
What if I don’t see a mouse? Am I still in danger of getting hantavirus?
In about a third of all confirmed cases where humans got hantavirus, people said they never saw a mouse, Bryan said.
“So any time you’re going in and clearing out those areas, it’s important to be aware of it,” Bryan said.
What are the symptoms of hantavirus?
On average, symptoms of hantavirus start two weeks after exposure, but can hit anytime between one and six weeks. Fever and chills may be experienced, but everyone who is infected has severe leg, hip and back pain.
“That’s the really distinct feature of the virus,” Bryan said. “You may not get the other symptoms, but you will have leg or hip or back pain that doesn’t go away with ibuprofen or Tylenol.”
The virus can progress quickly, causing inflammation in the heart and lungs, which may result in fluid build up in the lungs and eventually death.
Fatalities among people who get hantavirus are very high. Are there any effective treatments for hantavirus?
Anyone experiencing symptoms of hantavirus should seek medical attention immediately: there’s no cure for hantavirus, but various treatments — such as blood pressure support — can help counteract the effects of the symptoms. A simple blood test can show the presence of hantavirus.
Is there a vaccine for hantavirus?
There is no vaccine for hantavirus, but precautions can be taken to prevent infection.
Hantavirus is especially dangerous for people in rural areas of Colorado and the southwest. What about people in urban areas? Do they have to worry about hantavirus?
Confirmed cases of hantavirus are more common in rural areas of Colorado and elsewhere in the U.S., but medical experts have recorded cases among people in urban areas. For instance, a Denver woman who did extensive maintenance work and plumbing may have been exposed to hantavirus after some ceiling tiles collapsed on her while she was working in Denver. She hadn’t spent much time in rural areas of Colorado before becoming infected. The woman survived hantavirus.
Medical experts advise anyone cleaning or working in mouse-infested areas to wear masks
How can I prevent mouse infestations and avoid getting sick from hantavirus?
“Ultraviolet light actually kills the virus,” Bryan said. “Open up and air out the spaces you’re trying to clean and let the sunlight in before you go in and do anything.”
Keep mice from nesting in the first place by caulking and rodent-proofing your home, and trap mice that have already gotten inside.
“Handwashing is important too, as some transmission happens when people clean up, and then touch their mouth, nose or food they’re eating,” Bryan said.
The virus can also be inhaled, so medical experts with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend wearing protective gear if you’re cleaning areas with potential mouse infestations.
And remember that oftentimes, instead of seeing the small, brown deer mice, you’ll just notice signs of their presence.
“You may see nesting materials, such as straw, or excrement,” Bryan said. “Or the mice may chew stuff up and make holes in dog food bags and other food containers.”
All of those efforts to keep mice out of the house pay off in other ways: mice also carry ticks, which can spread diseases such as Colorado Tick Fever and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.
“Rodent proofing areas is really important for a number of reasons,” Bryan said.